Several of the UK's top glass packaging manufacturers have signed up to a new project being spearheaded by the UK's WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme), whose goal is to cut the amount of glass used to produce new food, soft drink and flavoured alcoholic beverage containers via development of innovative lightweight packs.
Allied Glass Containers, O-I, Rockware Glass, Beatson Clark and Quinn Glass, with support from trade association British Glass, have signed up to participate in the GlassRite initiative, which WRAP says could save 65,000 tonnes of glass and 48,000 tonnes of carbon emissions by 2009 - reportedly the equivalent of taking 28,000 cars off the road. WRAP is now keen for retailers and brand owners to sign up.
The project's first goal is to save 20,000 tonnes of glass by its completion in March 2008, with the results and lessons learned then being rolled out to create momentum for a further 45,000 tonnes to be saved in the first year thereafter. A range of new container designs will be developed, trialled and launched “in order to take advantage of the commercial and environmental benefits of moving to lightweight containers”.
Pack designs will undergo rigorous trials to test strength, practicality and consumer appeal. Experts from Bangor's University of Wales will conduct detailed consumer perception tests, with hi-tech wireless sensors placed inside containers to access performance during handling, filling and packaging.
Nicola Jenkin, from WRAP's retail innovation team, says: “With the food, flavoured alcoholic beverage and soft drink sectors accounting for 34% of the UK's total container glass use, even a moderate reduction in container weight could deliver significant cost savings, while reducing carbon emissions and glass waste.”
WRAP's work has already shown significant savings can be made by lightweighting coffee jars; it says changing all UK coffee jars to “best in class” weight would save an additional 15,900 tonnes of glass annually.
Those interested in participating in the GlassRite Food initiative should contact WRAP's Nicola Jenkin. T: +44 (0)1295 819609; E: nicola.jenkin@wrap.org.uk
